


A Million Miles

by sansasnarks



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Angst, Leonard Snart & Mick Rory - Freeform, mick rory feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-24 20:39:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6166048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sansasnarks/pseuds/sansasnarks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team deals with what happened to Mick. Post-scene to 1x07.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Million Miles

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this: http://batmanisagatewaydrug.tumblr.com/post/140479627569/though-we-know-mick-is-ok-but-not-with-the-team and my headcanon: http://the-bastard-jon-snow.tumblr.com/post/140606738154/len-about-dying-whatd-you-feel-sara-i-guess  
> If I had to suffer through that sadness so do all of you.

 

"But you're dangerous," Leonard was saying, finally turning to face Mick. "A liability to the team." 

"Team?" Mick said, feeling the anger burn in his throat. "You and I were a team."  

And they had been, for decades. It had always been the two of them, and sometimes - Mick remembered Lisa too late. He stops for a second, wondering if that was why Leonard hadn't wanted to stay in 2046. That maybe it was just because of Lisa, that if they grabbed her and went back to 2046 it would all be okay, that they could all just live the life they were meant to. And yet, he looks at Snart, showing more emotion than he's seen him display in his entire life, and he knows that Snart didn't just reject him because of Lisa, and instead he accuses Leonard. 

"What happened to _you_?"

But Mick knew what had happened to him. It was all the team's fault - more specifically, Rip Hunter's fault. Leonard was fine until Rip Hunter had recruited them on this ridiculous mission to save the world, and then he had changed.

RIght on cue, Leonard flipped his gun in his hands and answered, "People change."

Mick should have known. The warning bells had gone off in his head when Snart had tried to change his past, but nothing had changed and Mick had decided to ignore it. Except things  _had_ changed. Leonard started getting chummy with the other people on board, had begun to enjoy the thought of playing hero, of  _saving the world_.

On some level, Mick couldn't blame him. He didn't _hate_ the people on board. Jax was all right - Mick wasn't opposed to killing him, but he would rather not. While resilient, the kid had a habit of getting himself into dangerous situations, and Mick had moments where he felt protective over the young man. When Jax looked at Mick when he negotiated his deal with the pirates, Mick refused to look back at him, and a small uncomfortable knot formed in his chest until he pushed it down a second later. Ray had been the next one to seem betrayed, but Mick reminded himself that he didn't care about him. Palmer had a nasty habit of believing in people too much, and it was his own fault for misinterpreting Mick's rescue as a sign of friendship. Nevertheless, the knot had grown, and when Mick later blasted Sara with his gun, the knot in his stomach twisted just a little bit more. 

He was glad that Stein hadn't been present on the Waverider. Mick knew Stein didn't care for him, but Mick had always appreciated Stein's crazy antics, and he didn't want to kill the old man. 

But - he would if he had to, he told himself. He would kill them all if he needed to. Because Mick Rory remembered the mission, and Leonard Snart had lost sight of it, and was about to kill him -  _him_ for it. And why? To be a hero? Leonard Snart would never be a hero. Mick Rory would never be a hero. Both were destined for criminality, and yet only one of them had accepted it. Mick sees Leonard's face crumple, and something inside of him trips up, and memories of his team floods into his mind. 

To when Palmer had acted out and gotten himself beaten in the yard - the scenario reminding him vaguely of his first meeting with Leonard, except that even then Leonard had known not to cause trouble. 

To when Jax had stumbled from behind a tree, telling the team he would be all right, but Mick saw that he was wobbling and he grabbed at Jax's arms, turning him so that he could catch him instead of letting him fall to the ground. 

To when Hunter had met with the Time Master, obviously wandering into a trap and yet somehow being too trusting, too willing to believe in an old friend. 

To Kendra, bleeding and unconscious, so small in Mick's arms and waking up briefly only to sob and clutch at him because she had lost Carter. 

To a fourteen year old Leonard Snart, eyes wide as Mick grabbed a 17 year old punk off of him and threw him across the room. Fourteen year old Leonard Snart looking at Mick's outstretched hand, shakily grabbing it and muttering a small thanks. Fourteen year old Leonard Snart, trying to hide his tears behind bravado when his little sister came to visit. Trying to be cold hearted to survive, but letting it slip with a one second smile whenever he saw his sister come bounding down the stairs.

Snart had always been horrible at pretending when it came to the people he had cared about, and this was no exception. Some part of Snart had always believed that he could have this, Mick realized. 

But Mick didn't have these same delusions. Snart could play being hero, Mick knew what they both really were. 

"You think you're some kind of hero," Mick stated. "But deep down you're still that same punk kid I saved in juvie."  _And I'm still the idiot who fights for you_. 

He gets up now, daring Leonard to shoot him. He wishes that he had his gun - Snart could have at least made it a fair fight, but this isn't supposed to be fair. This is an execution, because he's a liability. A failure, an incompetent pyromaniac who is only here because he's the tag on to the real prize. Mick feels his anger grow, and he thinks he's telling Snart to kill him, to have the guts to shoot him, but he doesn't even really hear what he's saying anymore but he's focusing on Leonard's crying face and wondering if he could go back and do it all again, if he would still peel the boys off of the tiny teenaged Snart or just keep staring at the flame on his match like he had planned. 

Then, Leonard says, "You're right," and Mick's vision goes as he's bombarded with the blue-white light. 

* * *

Leonard doesn't say a word when he comes back onto the Waverider, simply announcing that it's been done before he stomps into the room he previously shared with Mick. Kendra stares at the shut door, and she and Stein look at one another, the concern clearly written on their faces. 

"Do you think he..." she starts, but trails off. 

"I do think so," Martin agrees, and Kendra touches his shoulder gently as he wipes a tear from his eye. "It's - it's not me," he clarifies. "It's young Jax, he's feeling very hurt right now, maybe I should -" 

Kendra nodded at Jax's direction, and Martin turned to see him storming into Rip's office. "Seems like he's a little busy right now," she says softly. "Maybe give him some space." 

Martin nodded, another tear leaking out. "Yes, I am feeling a bit upset, perhaps it is better that I not bother him. Besides," he admits. "I don't know what I would even say. Mr. Rory was our teammate, yes, but I certainly didn't hold him in high regard." 

"Well, let's refrain from saying that to the other members of the team," Kendra reminded Stein gently. "I don't think they'll take it as well as I do, and I don't think celebrating the second death on our ship would be a good idea." 

"Oh, yes, of course," Martin says, looking up at her with a guilty look. "I'm sorry if I offended you." 

"It's all right," Kendra says, giving him a small smile. "Mick wasn't Carter, we didn't really talk. The only time we really interacted was when..." she stops then, and Martin looks at her. 

"When what?" he asks. 

"Nothing," she tells Stein. "Just that he carried me to the MedBay is all." 

Kendra is still entranced by her memory even after Martin excuses himself and goes to his room. It's been a memory she hasn't thought of in a while, one that she hadn't remembered until maybe a week after she had recovered from her stab wound. She didn't remember much between getting stabbed and waking up in the MedBay, but she had a few snapshots of herself waking up, thinking that she was flying for a delirious second before she realized she was in someone's arms. She had clung onto them and cried, and she remembered asking them why Carter was dead, why she had to go through this again. Kendra had passed out shortly thereafter, but before she lost consciousness, she thought she felt Mick give her arm a small squeeze, even as they were running towards the Waverider. She had spent some time thinking about that moment, wondering if Mick Rory was really as hard and uncaring as he liked to come off. 

Kendra supposes that it's all too late to wonder about the type of person Mick Rory was now; her thoughts of him have come too little and too late. 

* * *

Jax stormed into Rip's office and plops into the chair across from Rip, interrupting the man's seemingly empty gaze at the wall in front of him. Rip was clearly startled by Jax, but composed himself quickly, asking him, "What's wrong, Jefferson?" 

Jax could have laughed at the question. What was  _wrong_? Mick and Carter were dead, Leonard had come back to the Waverider quieter than usual, and they weren't any closer to finding Savage, and Rip was asking him what was  _wrong_? But he wasn't here for that yet -he figured Snart should be the one to tell Rip off, not him. Instead, he asked the question that had been on his mind ever since Rip had yelled at Mick in the holding cell. 

"Am I a package deal?" 

Rip blinks, not yet registering the question. "What?" 

"You heard me," Jax said forcefully. "Am I a package deal? Am I just here because you need me as Firestorm, or because Grey kidnapped me and it was too much work to bring me back, or be-" 

"No, no, Jefferson stop," Rip interrupted, his eyes clouding over with worry. "I know what I said to Mick was...harsh, but you are not a package deal. I needed  _both_ of you on this mission, yes, but you both have incredible individual skill sets." Jax didn't look convinced, and Rip added on, "We wouldn't have even been able to jump had you not repaired the Jumpship. We would all be stuck in 1986, and what would we do then? I care about more than your Firestorm capabilities, Jefferson." 

Jax crossed his arms and looked down. "Yeah, it may be that we be useful individually," he conceded, nodding his head a little. "But you didn't remember I was a mechanic until we needed the ship repaired. Grey was even worried that you wouldn't take him on his own - would you have taken only one of us, even if it meant you couldn't use Firestorm?" 

He saw Rip hesitate, and Jax shook his head in disappointment, getting up from the chair and turning to walk out. 

"Jefferson, wait, just let me -" 

"No," Jax said, turning around to face Rip. "I expected this anyway, but I'm glad to know you really feel." He moved to leave but then stopped and turned back to Rip. "And for the record, you were wrong about Mick. He could have been great for us if he got a little more time, and not just as Snart's partner. Rory betrayed us but  _you_ pushed him over the edge, Rip." 

And with that, Jax stormed out of the room. He considered going into his shared room with Ray, but took a sharp left and opened the door to Stein's room. Stein was angrily folding his clothes, and Jax smiled at the man's image. 

"Sorry," he said, startling Stein. "I didn't mean to make you mad too." 

 "Nonsense," Stein said, folding the last of his trousers and stuffing them in his drawer. His task temporarily done, he straightened up and looked at Jax, his face softening. "And just so you know - we may be Firestorm, and I won't dismiss our combustible form, but losing Firestorm would not be the end of the world. Losing Jefferson Jackson, however, would be a travesty." 

 "Thanks," Jax smiled and he walked over to the bed, picking up a shirt that was still thrown across Martin's bed and folding it as well. "And just so _you_ know, the world needs Martin Stein just as much," he said. Martin smiled back and stood next to Jax, the two silently folding his clothes. 

* * *

Rip stared at the empty spot where Jax had previously stormed out. Part of him had wanted to run after Jax and explain that he was an important and valuable member of the team, and yet, Rip knew in his heart that he couldn't lie to Jax. 

Jefferson and Martin  _had_ been recruited for the sole fact that they were Firestorm, and had only one of them decided to come on the ship, Rip would not have allowed it.  _Now_ he recognized their value as individuals, of course, but when he had first recruited them? Rip had not cared. He had considered a large majority of the team a package deal - the resurrected soulmates, the burning men, and the criminals. Leonard had refused to even look at Rip before he had left with Mick, Rip had remembered. 

He looked down now, trying not to think about Mick Rory, and the words that Jax had said to him. It  _had_ been his fault. Snart and Rory were supposed to have had a lifelong partnership, Rip had known that. But something had changed - he had changed them. He had alienated Mick Rory, had gotten so stressed over the situation, had been so frustrated about being caught in yet another horrible situation when they should really be fighting Savage, about - 

But that was no excuse, Rip realized. He was their leader, their captain, and he should not have let his personal frustration get in the way of leading them. Mick Rory is gone, and it's his fault. He sits back in his chair, replaying the last few moments with Mick in his head - he should have never insulted him the way he did. Rory didn't have the IQ of meat, Rip reflected. Mick had executed far better judgement than Rip ever had about Time Master Druce, had saved the lives of their team countless times in this short journey, and had protected them as best as he could. And Rip had turned his back and treated him like nothing. Rip put his face in his hands, taking a few shuddering breaths and tried calming himself down. One month of fighting Savage, and he had already caused the deaths of two of his teammates. He was supposed to protect them, and yet he was the one pushing them over the edge. 

Miranda would be so very disappointed. 

* * *

Ray knocked on Leonard's door, opening it when he gets no response. Leonard barely registers his movement, and he simply sits on his bed, back facing Ray. 

"Hey," Ray said, leaning himself against the doorway. "Sorry, you didn't say to come in, but -then again you didn't say I  _couldn't_ so -" 

"No offense, Raymond," Leonard interrupted, his face only slightly moving towards Ray's direction before he turned his back to Ray again. "But go away. I don't need your sympathy." 

Ray frowns, but nods and crosses his arms. "I will - but, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry you had to do it. I know he was your friend, and I don't think that he was a bad guy. A little conflicted, sure," Ray admitted, his face cracking into a small smile before he caught himself, "but still, a good guy. After all - he did save me back in the gulag." Ray pauses then and looks down. "I don't think a bad guy would do that." 

Leonard turned his head a little, and Ray half expected a snarky remark, or a rare moment of genuine thanks from Snart, but he was only met with silence. And so Ray gave Leonard's back a small smile and patted the doorway - as if that could somehow transfer onto Leonard - and walked back to his room, passing Sara on his way out. 

* * *

 "I see Ray was here to cheer you up," Sara announced, walking into Leonard's room and plopping onto the bed right next to him. "What'd he say?" 

"Nothing I didn't already know," came the reply.

 Sara poured him a shot of vodka and passed him the glass. "Here," she said. "Drink up." 

Leonard hesitated for a moment, but grabbed the glass and swigged it down, wincing a little as he feels the burning in his throat. He extended his hand, motioning her to pour another serving. 

Sara smiles at that, glad that he doesn't seem to be holding any animosity towards her. She had been one of the most resistant people on the team to let Leonard go. Sara had followed him as he had grabbed his things, yelling at him to not go through with it. 

_"He's a member of our team!" she had protested._

_"And he tried to kill about half of us, you included," came Leonard's reply. "Or is that burn on your arm just for decoration?_

_"You can't just shoot him like a **dog** ," Sara had hissed. "He's our  **teammate**." And to that, Leonard had turned around and looked her in the eyes. _

_"Don't you think I know that?" he had replied and Sara had felt herself soften, but she looked into his eyes as she made her final statement._

_"A few weeks ago, you told me that we could all make our own choices. That we weren't killers. That we were a team. Don't make the same mistake that I was about to make."_

_Leonard only grabbed his gun, and after a long pause, told her, "Mick is my responsibility."  And with that_ _, he was gone._

"No offense," Leonard said, looking at the small portion Sara had given him. "But if you 're going to be lecturing me, I'm going to be needing a lot more than this." 

"No lecturing," Sara replies, looking at the empty bed that sits across from her and Leonard, and she pours herself a drink as well. "Just drinking." 

Leonard just nods and clinks his glass with Sara, and the two drink in silence, watching Mick's empty bed. 

* * *

Mick blinks his eyes, adjusting to the darkness of the night as the blue from Leonard's gun faded away. He feels a small tingling from the lower half of his body, and he looks down and yells when he sees that he had been frozen to the ground from the knees down. 

"What are you doing?" Mick growls, trying to break free from the icy prison. "Why didn't you kill me?" 

"You're my partner," Leonard responds, turning away from Mick. "You can't be with the team, but I'm not going to kill you." 

"So, what?" Mick yelled, his anger growing as Leonard started walking away. "You're just going to leave me here? A million miles away from everything I know?" At that, he sees Leonard stop walking for a second, but then Leonard shakes it off and kept walking. 

Mick feels his anger boil over, and he desperately wishes that he had his gun, or that he could break out of the ice - he knew it will melt eventually, but by then, Leonard would be long gone.

" _Kill me_!" he yells to Leonard's receding form. "Be a man and _KILL ME!_ Don't just leave me here!" 

And yet, Leonard keeps walking,  and Mick only sees his hands tremble a little, betraying Leonard's emotions. But Mick doesn't care about that - he only cares about yelling at Leonard, screaming at him to come back, to not leave him alone like this, to just kill him instead. 

" _Coward!_ " he finally yells, and then Leonard's form is completely gone from Mick's line of sight.

And then, Mick Rory is alone. 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what this is, I'm just sleepy and have a lot of emotions about Mick Rory.


End file.
